1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plane light source apparatus which is used as a backlight for illuminating a liquid crystal display apparatus from the back side and a liquid crystal display apparatus which incorporates the plane light source apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal display apparatus of the reflection type and the transmission type are known. The liquid crystal display apparatus of the reflection type includes a reflection plate on the back side which reflects external light to display an image on a screen thereof. Meanwhile, the liquid crystal display apparatus of the transmission type includes a backlight on the back side thereof such that illumination light from the backlight is transmitted therethrough to display an image on a screen thereof.
A plane light source apparatus is in related art utilized as the backlight. The plane light source basically includes a light guide plate having a flat face portion and an end face portion, and a plurality of point light sources disposed in an opposing relationship to the end face portion of the light guide plate. The light guide plate mixes light from the point light sources incoming from the end face portion thereof and emits the mixed light as illumination light from the flat face portion thereof. An apparatus of the type described is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-337332.